Operating an in-vehicle or mobile device while driving can distract the driver of a motor vehicle (i.e. transport vehicle). An in-vehicle or vehicle device may include an ‘infotainment’ screen (front driver-accessible or driver-visible), or for rear passengers (non-driver accessible or driver-visible or other designations) that could be used for controlling audio and visual entertainment, such as a radio, video or navigation or a control system for climate, and other vehicle features or also a heads-up display (HUD), which may provide information projected onto the driver windshield that could include speed, engine and systems information, navigation and/or infotainment information. A mobile device may include any mobile device capable of establishing communications with a network, such as a cell phone, tablet computing device, laptop, smart phone, etc. Certain concerns have been raised to restrict drivers from using distracting devices while the vehicle is in motion. One example of such restrictions may include local laws and ordinances that have been imposed on drivers that make it illegal to utilize a mobile device while driving. Other laws simply limit the usage of distracting devices while traversing certain restricted areas (e.g., a school zone).
In order to enforce such legal regulations related to mobile devices, local law enforcement must observe a driver committing an infraction and subsequently impose a fine on the driver. Such a method of law enforcement can be considered a passive method for controlling the device, since it is the driver's responsibility to restrict usage of the mobile device. This can be a problem since the law cannot be easily enforced, and thus the user will not stop using the mobile device while operating their motor vehicle.
Current methods for addressing these issues rely on device-based solutions, rather than network-based solutions. For example, device-based solutions are typically custom-designed for the device and/or the vehicle and are typically expensive to implement or require the use of a “smartphone”—a mobile telephone with an operating system onto which third party software can be deployed, and which has access to a global positioning system (GPS) receiver as well as additional wireless protocols such as BLUETOOTH and/or WIFI.
Examples of conventional vehicle tracking systems are used by delivery companies such as UPS® and FedEx®. In these systems, vehicles are equipped with proprietary mobile devices that must be placed in a proprietary docking station inside the vehicle in order for the vehicle to be placed in motion. When in motion, the devices impose limitations on their usage, such as preventing the driver from reading certain information screens while the vehicle is in motion to prevent driver distractions originating from the mobile device.
Other examples may include solutions from third party vendors that deploy software on a specific smartphone mobile device, such as an Android®, Apple iPhone®, RIM Blackberry®, or Windows Mobile device, etc. In these examples, the software accesses the device-based GPS to identify when the device is moving at a certain velocity (e.g. >5 mph), at which point the device restricts the use of text messages and or calls from being accessed via the mobile device.
While both of these types of solutions are technically feasible, they face significant hurdles to adoption, including cost, difficulty of use, and restrictions on which devices can be used (e.g., only certain smartphones from certain carriers). Other concerns include identifying when the user is actually in the vehicle and when the individual is in command of the vehicle, and providing safeguards that prevent a user from circumventing the system.